Filipino climate and social justice groups rallied on Elliptical Road, Quezon City on April 26, 2026, joining worldwide protests demanding a rapid, just, and equitable transition to a fossil-free future.
The demonstrations were timed with the 1st International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. Coordinated by the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development, mobilizations also swept India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and cities across Africa, Latin America, North America, and Europe as the global energy crisis exposes Asia’s deep vulnerability.
APMDD coordinator Lidy Nacpil said Asia’s dependence is stark: in 2025, 90% of LNG and 80% of oil through the Strait of Hormuz were bound for Asian markets.
Protest leader Flora Santos of the Oriang Women’s Movement said fuel spikes hit ordinary Filipinos hardest — commodities cost more, wages lose value, and women carry heavier burdens.
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice national coordinator Ian Rivera stressed that rich countries must deliver trillions in public, grant-based climate finance and that the Santa Marta Conference must operationalize a Just Transition Mechanism with direct, non-debt-creating funding for developing nations.
Alongside the official summit, over 900 organizations convened the Peoples’ Summit for a Fossil-Free Future to unify civil society demands. State delegates and activists will meet at the Assembly of the People, a formal dialogue hosted by Colombia, to feed movement demands into official outcomes. “Santa Marta is not a substitute for the UNFCCC process, but aims to complement it,” Nacpil said.
Photos by Jimmy Domingo
